The Mel Robbins Podcast

Episode: "9 Habits That Will Change Your Life: The Best Expert Advice I’m Using This Year"

Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Mel Robbins

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Mel Robbins counts down the nine most impactful moments from the podcast in 2025, each drawn from expert interviews and listener favorites. Her goal: to highlight the practical, research-backed advice that truly shifted lives this year. Mel’s signature warmth and candor shine as she reflects, shares memorable quotes, and delivers fresh insights on getting unstuck, friendship, health, intimacy, aging, healing, hope, and more. Whether you’re new or a longtime listener, you’ll finish this episode feeling seen, encouraged, and equipped to create your best year ever.

1. Getting Unstuck: Jay Shetty on Letting Go of the Past

Timestamp: [12:35]

Key Points:

• Feeling "stuck" in life is almost always about holding on to what’s behind us, not confusion about what’s next.
• Many people grieve former versions of themselves, which keeps them from moving forward.
• True momentum is built not from knowing exactly what comes next, but from letting go of what’s already passed.

Notable Quotes:

• Jay Shetty:
  “You’re not stuck. You’re actually grieving a past version of yourself. … What’s holding you back is what you’re holding onto.” [12:35]
• Mel Robbins:
  “We think we’re stuck because we don’t know what to do next. Oh my God, that one hit me. It’s so true.” [15:30]

Powerful Moment:
Jay asks:

“What identity, what habit, what mindset, what expectation are you letting yourself be held back by that if you were to let go of, you could easily move forward?”

Mel’s Reflection:
This moment resonated globally; letting go of what no longer serves you is the first step to moving forward. [15:30]

2. Friendship by the Numbers: Danielle Bayard Jackson on Adult Connection

Timestamp: [21:40]

Key Points:

• It’s normal, even inevitable, to replace half your friends every seven years.
• 40% of adults currently lack a “best friend.”
• Friendship is better viewed as a collective—not everything in your life has to come from one person.

Notable Quotes:

• Danielle Bayard Jackson:
  “There’s research that finds that we replace half of our friends every seven years. … There’s this natural pruning that happens throughout your life.” [21:40]
  “There’s some research that finds that 40% of adults don’t have a best friend. … It doesn’t make you any less important or worthy or lovable.” [23:43]

Mel’s Reflection:

“Danielle proved through research that you’re not alone, not even close. ... This is what the majority of people are feeling.” [24:50]

3. Food as Medicine: Dr. Dawn Mussallem on Simple Dietary Habits That Prevent Cancer

Timestamp: [32:36]

Key Points:

• Five key foods that fight cancer: berries, purple sweet potatoes, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower), beans, and edamame/soy.
• Each of these foods has research-backed evidence for reducing cancer risk and supporting survivorship.
• Dietary fiber is strongly linked to longevity and cancer risk reduction.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Dawn Mussallem:
  “For every two servings (of berries) a week, it can reduce the risk of breast cancer. … Purple sweet potatoes: there’s 150% more anthocyanins in these purple sweet potatoes than there are in those berries.” [32:36–33:13]
  “…Fibre can help to reduce dying from any cause…that’s class one evidence, the highest quality in medicine.” [35:19]

Mel’s Reflection:
Dr. Mussallem “makes something as terrifying as cancer and disease feel clearer, calmer, and more in your control than you realize.” [37:23]

4. Intimacy Redefined: Sex Therapist Vanessa Marin on Planning for Passion

Timestamp: [46:11]

Key Points:

• The worst time for sex is at the very end of the day; you’re exhausted and distracted.
• Couples should prioritize sex earlier in the evening and not be afraid to plan it.
• You’ve always scheduled sex—dating is scheduling sex, just in a different package.
• Small habits (gratitude, long hugs, eye contact) transform intimacy.

Notable Quotes:

• Vanessa Marin:
  “Try to have sex as early in the evening as you can... We’ve been scheduling sex our entire relationship.” [46:11, 48:02]
  “Gratitude... is the number one predictor of marital satisfaction... A six-second kiss and a 20–30 second hug... Those will make such a big impact.” [48:24]

Mel’s Reflection:

“Why did I not think about this before? … By the time I crawl into bed...I’m done. … Small changes, extraordinarily profound impact.” [49:45]

5. Understanding Men: Jason Wilson on the Real Root of Anger and Silence

Timestamp: [57:57]

Key Points:

• “Anger is a safe emotion” for men, often masking more vulnerable feelings like sadness or hurt.
• Men are socially conditioned to limit their emotional expression, often living with a restricted “crayon box” of emotions.
• True connection and healing begin when men are encouraged to access and express a broader emotional range.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Wilson:
  “When our feelings are hurt, we’re angry. When we’re sad, we’re angry...Anger is a very safe emotion to express.” [57:57]
  “As men, we stay within the eight box of crayons… Women have 64. … We were created for all of those emotions.” [58:53]

Mel’s Reflection:
“Once you understand that anger is often the only emotion that men were ever taught to access, everything shifts.” [59:58]

6. Women Are Not Small Men: Dr. Stacy Sims on Gender-Specific Health & Exercise

Timestamp: [66:30]

Key Points:

• Most medical and fitness advice is derived from male data but generalized to women, which is a major disservice.
• Women’s bodies do not respond well to “fasted training”—eating something before exercise preserves muscle and enhances results.
• Small adjustments in routines (like a bit of food before workouts) can have profound positive impacts for women.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Stacy Sims:
  “Women are not small men. Everything from what happens in utero until we die is different for women than men.” [66:30]
  “Your partner might get up and go. Fasted training. Women’s bodies don’t respond well to facet training. … It’s a very small amount of food that a woman needs first thing in the morning…” [68:55–69:49]

Mel’s Reflection:
“This episode changed my life in fundamental ways... Now after learning from Dr. Stacey Sims, I never, ever, ever exercise on an empty stomach.” [69:49]

7. Aging & Strength: Dr. Vonda Wright’s Wake-Up Call for Women

Timestamp: [74:59]

Key Points:

• Getting old is inevitable; getting weak is not.
• Dr. Wright, an orthopedic surgeon, describes the painful reality faced by women who neglected their own strength and health as they age.
• Issues like broken hips are often compounded by weakness, incontinence, and unaddressed health needs, but these outcomes are preventable.
• Building strength and mobility at any age changes your entire trajectory.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Vonda Wright:
  “I see the future of women, Mel. I can’t not, not cry. If we know we have within our hands... it changes the trajectory of our future.” [74:59]
  “Getting old is inevitable. You getting weak is not.” [paraphrased; theme throughout section]

Mel’s Reflection:
“She’s showing you the cost of ignoring your own needs, of ignoring your body. And then she hands you back your power in the same breath.” [77:56]

8. The Truth About Childhood: Dr. Gabor Maté on Unique Sibling Experiences

Timestamp: [85:12]

Key Points:

• No siblings grow up in the exact same house, with the same experience—even with the same parents.
• Birth order, gender, timing, and temperament mean every child gets a truly different version of their parents.
• Understanding this brings self-compassion, forgiveness, and new possibility for personal growth.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Gabor Maté:
  “No siblings grow up in the same house. No siblings have the same parents… No siblings have the same childhood. Why not? There are a whole lot of reasons.” [85:12]
  “It’s not about how you experience love from your parents. It’s how you experience the way your parents showed up with you.” [86:30, recapped by Mel]

Mel’s Reflection:

“That moment, the one you just heard, was the single most viral moment of the entire year.” [86:30]

9. The Discipline of Hope: Bryan Stevenson on Staying Hopeful

Timestamp: [91:38]

Key Points:

• Hope is not a passive feeling; it's an orientation and discipline that can be trained and developed.
• Hopelessness is the enemy of justice, growth, and change—both personally and societally.
• Learning from hopeful stories and people is part of cultivating hope.

Notable Quotes:

• Bryan Stevenson:
  “Our hope is what can sustain us when things look bleak and difficult. … Hopelessness is the enemy of justice.” [91:38]
  “Hope is our superpower. … It’s an orientation of the spirit.” [End of 91:38 segment]

Mel’s Reflection:

“Hope is not naive. Hope is necessary. And I just want to say to you, I am so proud of you.” [93:15]

Final Thoughts & Resources

Mel’s Parting Wisdom:

• “If you were inspired to dig deeper into anything, scroll down to the show notes—you’ll find links to all featured episodes and a free 20-page workbook to help you plan your best year.” [93:15]
• “As your friend, in case no one else tells you this, I wanted to be sure to tell you today that I love you and I believe in you and I believe in your ability to create a better life.” [Final minutes]

Download Mel’s Free "Best Year Yet" Workbook

A science-backed, step-by-step guide to getting clear on what you want and creating your best year ever.

Timestamps at a Glance

| Theme | Guest/Speaker | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------|------------------------|-------------| | Getting Unstuck | Jay Shetty | 12:35 | | Adult Friendship | Danielle Jackson | 21:40 | | Fighting Disease with Food | Dr. Dawn Mussallem | 32:36 | | Better Sex & Intimacy | Vanessa Marin | 46:11 | | Men’s Emotional Health | Jason Wilson | 57:57 | | Women’s Health & Exercise | Dr. Stacy Sims | 66:30 | | Strength & Aging | Dr. Vonda Wright | 74:59 | | Childhood & Healing | Dr. Gabor Maté | 85:12 | | The Discipline of Hope | Bryan Stevenson | 91:38 |

This “best of” episode delivers a global masterclass—one that proves, no matter what part of your life you want to change or heal, you’re not alone and the next step is within your reach.